C Lydian scale
C Lydian is C D E F♯ G A B. Lydian: a major scale with a raised fourth, the fourth mode of the major pattern, bright and floating with no perfect fourth above the tonic.
- Formula
- 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7
- Steps
- W W W H W W H
- Notes
- 7
- Key signature
- 1 sharp
- Mode
- Mode 4 of G major
Notes and degrees
The C Lydian scale has seven notes: C D E F♯ G A B. Each degree is named by its distance from the tonic, C.
| Degree | Note | Interval above C | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P1 | tonic | |
| 2 | M2 | supertonic | |
| 3 | M3 | mediant | |
| 4 | A4 | subdominant | |
| 5 | P5 | dominant | |
| 6 | M6 | submediant | |
| 7 | M7 | leading tone |
On the piano
Every key of the scale is lit in its own colour. Click one to hear it.
On the guitar
Every C scale tone on the first twelve frets in standard tuning. The tonic is ringed. Click a dot to hear the note.
Chords in C Lydian
Stacking thirds on each degree gives a triad and a seventh chord. The numerals are measured from the tonic against the major scale, so a ♭ means that chord root is lower than in major.
What it sounds like
Lydian follows the pattern whole, whole, whole, half, whole, whole, half. It matches the major scale except for the fourth degree, which is raised a half step. That raised fourth forms an augmented fourth above the tonic, a tritone, so the scale has no perfect fourth above its root. Without that perfect fourth, the scale lacks the subdominant pull that major keys use. The result is bright, airy, and suspended, which is why film and jazz writers often choose it for that quality.
Where you hear it
Lydian appears often in film and television scoring for wonder, weightlessness, and fantasy scenes. Jazz musicians treat it as the default color over major seventh chords, and the Lydian chord, a major seventh with a raised eleventh, is built from its notes. Impressionist and twentieth-century composers used raised fourths for brightness and lift. Modern pop and rock writers use it to create a sense of lift over major harmony. Its floating quality suits openings and transitions.
How it is built
Lydian is the fourth mode of the major pattern, the rotation that starts on F. On C, its pitches are C D E F♯ G A B, the same notes as G major, so C Lydian is the fourth mode of G major. Its diatonic triads on C are C major, D major, E minor, F♯ diminished, G major, A minor, and B minor. The tonic chord is major with a major seventh, and the second degree is a major triad, which distinguishes Lydian from major.
Scales with the same notes
These scales use the same seven pitches as C Lydian, starting from a different note.
Other C scales
- C major
- C natural minor
- C harmonic minor
- C melodic minor
- C Dorian
- C Phrygian
- C Mixolydian
- C Locrian
- C major pentatonic
- C minor pentatonic
- C blues
- C whole-tone
- C diminished (whole–half)
- C diminished (half–whole)
- C Phrygian dominant
- C Lydian dominant
- C altered
- C double harmonic major
- C Hungarian minor
- C bebop dominant
How to practise it
Play C Lydian with the F♯ against a drone on C, and hear the lifted fourth as a bright color. Improvise over Cmaj7 using F♯ as a target, resolving it to G. Play a short melody that alternates F natural (major) with F♯ (Lydian) within one bar, and hear the difference. Finally, write eight bars over a C pedal using only Lydian notes, avoiding F natural.
Further reading
- Church Modes From Dorian to Locrian: A Practical GuideFundamentals · 7 min
- Chord-Scale Theory Explained: Which Scale Fits Which ChordJazz & Popular Harmony · 7 min
Questions
What are the notes of the C Lydian scale?
The C Lydian scale is C, D, E, F♯, G, A, B. Written ascending it returns to C an octave higher.
What is the formula for the C Lydian scale?
The formula is 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7 measured from the major scale. As steps that is W, W, W, H, W, W, H (W is a whole step, H a half step).
What key signature does C Lydian use?
C Lydian is written with 1 sharp in the key signature.
Which chords belong to C Lydian?
Stacking thirds on each degree gives the triads C, D, Em, F♯dim, G, Am, Bm.
What is the difference between Lydian and major?
Lydian is the major scale with the fourth degree raised by a half step. On C, major is C D E F G A B and Lydian is C D E F♯ G A B. The raised fourth removes the perfect fourth above the tonic, which gives Lydian its floating sound.
How is Lydian used in jazz?
Jazz players use Lydian over major seventh chords, especially those with a raised eleventh, because the raised fourth matches the eleventh. The Lydian chord, a major seventh with a raised eleventh, is built from the scale's notes. Improvisers also use Lydian in modal passages where a floating major color is wanted.
What chords go with Lydian?
On C, the diatonic triads are C major, D major, E minor, F♯ diminished, G major, A minor, and B minor. The tonic is major with a major seventh, and the II chord is a major triad, which is distinctive. The diminished chord on the raised fourth reflects the augmented fourth most directly.